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2010/06/18

The Lotus Bakery on the Pemayangtse Road


If you are going to Pemayangtse from Pelling , you find the Lotus Bakery on the left of the road . A ramshackle hut ,patched with tarpaulin , woven reed sheets with industrial ovens behind the counter ,it houses the most amazing bakery .



Run by the Muyal Liang trust , the proceeds from the bakery are used to provide free education to the children of Sikkim . In Sikkim there is a tremendous emphasis on education and throughout the day one comes across groups of children either going to or coming back from school .

You have a choice of alfresco or indoors . The cafe has a cement floor and a short plastered wall topped with a bamboo frame , set with square uncurtained windows through which sunlight streams in . The walls are a patchwork of yellow and blue tarpaulin and plastic and sheets woven out bamboo. You wait at a rickety wooden table on blue plastic stools and breathe in the warm yeasty , cinammony , chocolatey smell of baking ,


while the girls rush around getting the tea ready. The tea is not important , the food is .
But nevertheless you order lemon tea

Staffed by a set of young girls and one man , the bakery serves the most delicious apple rolls , yeasty bread , Danish pastries , cinnamon rolls , apple pie with the thinnest flakiest crust imaginable ,chocolate sponge , buttery biscuits studded with nuts and raisins and cream rolls and buns oozing fresh cream . lemon tarts with the soft, fresh lemon butter - delectable ! I have no pictures of the food because it went down so fast !


And if you are lucky the fat tabby who lives off the fat of the cafe , literally , might come and sit at your feet , hoping for a few crumbs from the table !

13 comments:

Sue said...

I'm huuuuuungry!

dipali said...

Your description is making my mouth water! Yummy:)

Haddock said...

That is good info for people passing that way.

Brat P said...

wondering if Rashu's tabby cat has escaped..:)

Anonymous said...

hi, what a intimate and warm place. lovely pics too. through the post and the pic, one can almost touch the place. very nice.

Unknown said...

Sue - so am I :)
Dipali - loaded with sugar ..sigh , no go for you and me
Haddock - you bet !
Brat P - what a surprise ! Has Rashu's tabby run away ? Welcome !
Sharbori - It was a warm and lovely place - yes .

Anil P said...

I'll remember this bakery if I happen to visit Sikkim sometime.

What was the tabby called?

Banno said...

Wish I was there!

Rohan said...

I went to Sikkim last year, passed by Pelling on my way to North Sikkim. And yes, I did visit the Lotus Bakery. Their confectionary is man, I'm sorry but I can't describe it. Its the best I've had in India.Sikkim's such an awesomely quiet place. There's this lake near Pelling, supposed to be a tourist attraction, it's oddly silent. I wonder if you've been there.

Usha said...

Is this a recent trip? mouth-watering description - one more place on my to-do-before-I-die list.

Unknown said...

Anil - yes you must , if only to eat the apple pie .
Banno - :)
The orange Cat - High fives . I read your post on Sikkim.Did you mean Khechopalri ? Its a consecrated lake - no I didnt visit it - I need to have a reason for being in the regiona again so am saving it !
Usha - yes .In summer .Its a heavenly place .

hillgrandmom said...

The whole sounds desperately yummy :-) I can get a faint lingering aroma of fresh baking with plenty of cinnamon from your post!

r said...

I live down near Geyzing....n i just looooveeee d lotus bakery....just d bestest!!! :)